WiMAX - Last mile connection.

WiMAX is a typical example of the last mile connection. Last mile, what does it mean?

In the entire communication from the provider to the customer, last mile is closest part to the customer. For Telecommunication and cable television providers is a very expensive. They need to bring a cable to every customer and this have to be done manually.

There are many last mile delivery systems:

1) Traditional LAN
Traditional LAN systems use wires: UTP (or STP) cables, coaxial cable, and optics.

2) Analog modems
Analog modems on the existing telephone lines offer slow speed, below 56 kbps.

3) ISDN
Digital ISDN technology offers users more bandwidth and scalability but they are also becoming the history.

4) DSL
DSL services offer much more bandwidth on the existing telephone infrastructure. They also support co-existence of voice and data.

5) CATV
Community Access Cable Television Systems, called cable, can be used now also for the bidirectional communications for Internet access and Video on demand. Its problem is limited S/N, and needed use of the amplifiers.

6) Fiber optics
Fiber is an excellent medium, but its problem is cost.

7) Wireless networks

Advantages of wireless systems like WiMAX and WLAN is that there is no need to install the physical line for every user.

8) Lightwaves
Visible and infrared light use shorter waves than radio frequency waves. Problem with this solution are a physical obstruction and absorption by fog or rain that can greatly reduce its use, especially over the longer paths.

9) Radio Waves
Radio frequencies (RF) have much longer wavelengths then lightwaves. They have a lower attenuation and higher information capacity.

10) Satellite Communication
Satellite systems have high information capacity, but they are very expensive to deploy and therefore each satellite need to have lots of users.